Towns of the area

Guardistallo

The
municipal territory extends for 23,79 square kilometres in Val di Cecina,
on the summit of a hill which slopes to the north east towards the influx
of the Sterza river with the Cecina. It became autonomous community
with the Leopoldine laws.

A castle of Longobarda origins, as its name testifies, in the XI century
Guardistallo was under the Lordship of the della Gherardesca, who in
1154 donated it to the Bishop of Volterra, on whom it depended, for
Ecclesiastic jurisdiction, even in the following centuries. Placed
under the political dominion of Pisa it rebelled in 1345 when that
republic was threatened by Luchino Visconti. Reduced to obedience, it
followed their fate until the victory by Firenze in 1406, to whom
in the same year it vowed loyalty. In 1447 it was occupied by the army
of Alfonso di Aragona, King of Napoli. Shortly after it was again
conquered by Firenze, and successively participated in the unfortunate
rebellion of Pisa against Firenze. In 1738/39 Guardistallo was constituted
in feudal by Francesco II and assigned with the title of Marquisate to
Carlo Ginori, dignitary of the Lorenese court, with whom it remained
until 1776. Following the fate of the Grand Duchy, it passed under French
domination, until the Unity of Italy. In 1920 still administered by
a socialist council, it strongly opposed the Fascist penetration,
culminating in 1943 in a series of Partisan actions. To this activity
there followed ferocious German reprisals, on 29 June 1944 with
the death of 52 civilians and 11 partisans.